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Amalia |
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Greece, homeland of ancient civilization, timeless natural beauty, classical man-made monuments and
the place where St. Paul converted the first European to Christianity. Come enjoy Greece and its islands on this combination tour and
cruise. |
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Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Philippi, Kavala
and a 5-Day Greek Isles Cruise |
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14 Days - Greece |
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Itinerary |
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Day 1: |
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Depart the USA on an international flight to Athens, Greece. Meals will be served on the
overnight flight. |
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Day 2: |
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We arrive in Athens and check-in to our hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Dinner and
overnight in Athens. |
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Day 3: |
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Today, we embark on a city tour of Athens, visiting the Acropolis and the Parthenon, Mars Hill, the Erchthelon, the majestic Propylea,
the Panathenaic Stadium, home of the modern day Olympics, the Temple of Zeus, the Agora, Adrian’s Arch and many other ancient sites. We
then continue to Corinth, where St. Paul lived and preached for nearly 2 years, as reflected in his letters to the Corinthians. Walk the
marketplace where St. Paul preached and visit the Archeological Museum and the Temples. Here, Paul founded the first church consisting
entirely of Gentiles. Return to Athens by way of the Corinth Canal and the Roman seaport of Cenchrea; St. Paul sailed from this site to
Ephesus. Dinner and overnight in Athens. |
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Day 4: |
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We travel north to Delphi, site of the famous "Oracle" in ancient times. Our walk will take us to the slopes
of Mount Parnassus, where we can view the ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. We will also see the Treasury, the Archeological
Museum and the first monument built in the ancient world dedicated to "One God". Dinner and overnight in Delphi. |
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Day 5: |
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Travel to Berea to view the famous steps where St. Paul preached and continue to Kalambaka.
Dinner and overnight in Kalambaka. |
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Day 6: |
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Today we visit the world famous Byzantine Monasteries, the
Meteora, or "suspended rocks", one of the largest and most important complexes of
Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. The monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the
Plain of Thessaly. The Metéora is home to six monasteries and is included on the UNESCO World
Heritage List. We will ascend these huge granite rock formations to view architectural wonders over 700 years old. We will visit one of
the monasteries with its church and museum. We then travel on to Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki. |
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Day 7: |
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Enjoy a day trip to Philippi, the place where St. Paul preached his first sermon in Europe
and also where he was imprisoned. View the Roman Forum, the Market Place, the Basilica, and the Theater. It was also in Philippi that St.
Paul baptized Lydia, the first convert to Christianity in Europe. Then we travel to Kavala, once known as Neapolis, the biblical port city
where St. Paul first landed with Timothy and Silas. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki. |
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Day 8: |
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We return to Athens today where the rest of the day is at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Athens. |
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Day 9: |
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We travel to the port of Piraeus, where we board our ship and embark on a cruise of the Greek
Isles. First stop: Mykonos with its sun-drenched beaches. Dinner and overnight on board our ship. |
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Day 10: |
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We visit Kusadasi, on the Turkish coast, and the Greek island of Patmos, believed to be the
place of exile of the Saint John the Apostle and where he received the visions put forth in the Book of Revelations. Dinner and overnight
on board our ship. |
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Day 11: |
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Today our journey takes us to the island of Rhodes, at a crossroads between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, which has given the city
and the island many different identities, cultures, architectures, and languages over it long history. In classical times, The Colossus
of Rhodes, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, stood at the harbor entrance until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes
about 226 BC and toppled it. During the Roman period, the Apostle Paul stopped at Rhodes near the end of his third missionary
journey, according to Acts 21:1. Dinner and overnight on board our ship. |
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Day 12: |
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Our cruise continues to Heraklion on the the island of Crete. Here are the ruins of Knossos,
which was the biggest center of population on Crete during Minoan times and legendary site of the palace of King Minos and Labyrinth,
home of the Minotaur. We next visit the lovely island of Santorini, also known as Thera. The island with its beautiful lagoon are all
that remains of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption long ago. Dinner and overnight on board our ship. |
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Day 13: |
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We return to the Greek mainland and disembark our cruiseship in the port of Piraeus. We transfer
to our hotel in Athens and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight in Athens. |
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Day 14: |
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We bid farewell to Greece as we board our return flight to the U.S. |
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